History of Galloping Hogan's

History

In 1690 during the Williamite Jacobean Wars, much was to decide the supremacy over the islands of Britain and Ireland. Limerick city was under siege. Through good intelligence, the commander of the Jacobean forces, Patrick Sarsfield learned that the Williamite forces had reinforcements of Artillery arriving from Dublin.

Patrick Sarsfield together with a small group of 600 men, made their way out of Limerick under the cover of darkness. They crossed the Shannon at Killaloe , led by the famous Raparee from Doon, Co. Limerick– Michael Hogan, who later became known as

“Galloping Hogan”.

They confronted the Siege Train at Ballyneeryin Limerick, over ran the Williamite force and blew up the Siege Train. The Jacobean forces held Limerick until 1691, when the Treaty of Limerick was signed. Galloping Hogan left Ireland for France where he became a General in the French Army.

In 1706 he was forced to leave France because of killing a fellow officer in a duel in Flanders. He fled France for Portugal where he continued his military career.

In 1712, he led the Portuguese Army against the Spanish at the Battle of Campus Maior. He remained in Portugal until his death and reareda distinguished family whom descendants of which still live in Portugal to this day.

The story of Galloping Hogan is just one of the 14,000 soldiers who left Ireland in 1691 and spread their wings as far a field as Cuba and South America. This Exodus is commonly known as the